Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) was quick to seize on good news from market analytics firm International Data Corp.'s (IDC) survey of international phone sales. While the report unsurprisingly showed Android to be the king of virtually every region, the report showed that in some nations Windows Phones are outselling Apple, Inc.'s (AAPL) iPhone.

But before Apple fans explode with indignation, yes there is a catch. Windows Phone outsold the iPhone in a smattering of emerging markets, where the high price of Apple's trendy phone is probably a barrier to sales success. In total Windows Phone led the iPhone in Argentina, India, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine, and "rest of central and eastern Europe".

The success in India is a pretty big deal because that's going to be a huge smartphone market. But other regions like Ukraine, South Africa, and "rest of... Europe" (smaller countries) are all markets of 100,000 or less smartphone units annually.

The Lumia 520 [Image Source: Nokia]

The arrival of low-end Windows Phone devices -- namely Nokia Oyj.'s (HEX:NOK1V) Lumia 520/620 -- has certainly boosted Windows Phone. Much like Android, Microsoft and its third-party hardware partners appear to be starting their assault on the iPhone at the low-end. While today's flagship Android phones put the iPhone's hardware to shame, the earliest Androids were largely budget devices.

It remains to be seen, though, whether Windows Phone can duplicate Android's successful creep into the high-end of the market. Microsoft is betting big on the Windows Phone Blue refresh, which will likely be the next major platform refresh. That update is expected to land sometime in the October/November window. The good news for Windows Phone 8 device owners is that Microsoft reportedly will be supporting current generation devices in the upgrade this time around.

Yup, having good share in growth markets is what matters for those playing catch-up now. Ecosystem lock-in makes share growth in saturated markets even harder.

On the hardware side, it's why Intel's strategy of low-end and mid-range hardware in developing market makes so much sense. It's a different strategy from a hardware+software combination like Apple but it makes lots of sense for Android, much like focusing on those markets makes sense for MS. The general American population has always been bad at seeing the world beyond its own borders until something crazy bad happens, and even then they don't care *too* much or get bored of it.